Family Ties
by Melissa Black13
Summary: Sportsmaster confronts Kaldur about Artemis' death.


******A/N:** I wish I could write all my fics this fast. I think this took my like an hour and a half tops. Anyway, slightly different than anything I usually write, but let me know what you think!

**Title:** Family Ties  
**Characters:** Artemis Crock, Kaldur'ahm, Sportsmaster  
**Rated: **K+  
**Summary:**Sportsmaster confronts Kaldur about Artemis' death.

**Family Ties**

The tension in the room is palpable, even as the meeting has come to a close. Artemis breathes a mental sigh of relief. She knew she would come face to face with Sportsmaster at some point during this charade, but that hadn't prepared her for it. She had held her breath as he gave her a glance over, but all he had said was, "Cute costume, kid," before turning to Black Manta.

Now everyone is filtering out into the hallway and she is about to follow, when Sportsmaster calls back Kaldur. Maintaining her persona as his personal henchman, she remains behind with him, trying to hide how interested she is in what her "father" has to say to him. Sportsmaster gives her a look that clearly says to get lost, but she stands her ground.

"She stays," comes Kaldur's commanding voice from beneath his helmet.

"Fine, it don't matter to me," Sportsmaster replies gruffly. "Take that damn thing off, I want to look you in the eye when I say this."

Kaldur hesitates briefly before lifting his arms to remove his Manta helmet. His expression is cold and passionless as he looks at his "ally," so different from the warm and compassionate Kaldur of her teenage years. She wonders how much of this is a facade and how much has become a part of him in the months that he's been undercover.

"Ya know, when you originally left your little Junior Justice League," Sportsmaster starts, "I was sure you were a spy. Some little plan you and your friends had come up with."

Artemis doesn't move an inch, and is proud of Kaldur for not even looking away, just staring the man down with his indifferent gaze.

Sportsmaster's speech had started off airily enough, but his voice hardens until it's as cold as ice. "And then you went and killed my baby girl," he growls, stepping closer to Kaldur until they're nose to nose. Artemis can't move, can't go and defend her friend. She's mesmerized by Sportsmaster's anger. "Stabbed her right through the chest, or so I heard."

Suddenly he grabs Kaldur by the shoulders and pushed him up against the wall. Artemis finally springs into action, aiming her crossbow at him threateningly. Kaldur, completely devoid of emotions, doesn't defend himself or give Artemis any instructions, allowing the bigger man to get in his face. Artemis wishes she could be as calm, glad for once of the cat mask that hides her stricken expression.

"Put him down," Artemis demands, idly wondering what her voice sounds like to Sportsmaster, wondering if he can hear his baby girl in her intonation.

"Not until I'm done with what I gotta say," her father snaps, not even looking at her. He stares down Kaldur. "We may be on the same side right now, kid, but the second that changes, I just want you to know that I've got a javelin with your name on it."

Without another word and little more than a glare, Sportsmaster lets go of Kaldur and stalks from the room. Artemis trains her crossbow on him until he's out of sight, before shakily dropping it. Behind her she hears Kaldur straighten up and brush himself off. She can feel his concerned gaze on her, but cannot find the will to turn around and face him.

For so long she has been convinced that her father had no feelings for her other than disgust; after all, how many times had he tried to kill her and her friends when she was on the Team? And now, after all this time, to find out that he still cared for her, even the slightest bit. She can feel tears welling up in her eyes completely unbidden and unwanted. She shakes her head, trying to focus on pulling herself together.

Kaldur crosses in front of her and shuts the door. It clangs closed and she can feel the vibration of the submarine's engines as they start, signaling that they would be submerging soon. Kaldur comes to stand in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It is just us now, my friend," he says, and she's always struck by how he can change from frigid to warm almost instantly. They are able to speak freely here at least. This is Kaldur's sub, not his father's, so he knows where is bugged and where isn't. "I know you must be feeling a tumult of emotions."

"I just didn't think he'd care, is all," Artemis sniffles, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Something that I've learned since coming to work with my own father, is that they are rarely the picture that we paint of them in our heads," Kaldur tells her solemnly.

Artemis nods, looking down at her feet. She can feel Kaldur scrutinizing her, but he says no more on the subject, only sighing and retrieving his helmet.

"I must go oversee our departure," he says. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine," she replies, trying to muster up a smile, a smirk, anything to assure him that she doesn't need to be babied.

"Then, I will see you later to go over what we learned in the meeting." He puts his helmet on and departs, closing the door behind him.

Once he's gone, Artemis collapses into a chair. She rips her stupid cat mask off and allows her tears to flow unchecked. She wishes she knew why she was crying. Her father had just threatened one of her best friends with death for "killing" her and here she was crying because after all these years, he still loved her. His love should have meant nothing to her, and yet, somehow it meant everything. Sure, she'd never been daddy's little girl, but she knew she had loved her father at some point. A part of her wonders if, after everything he's put her through, she still does.

She misses Wally more than ever right now. Wishes she could just talk to him, maybe get his opinion on this; his opinion has always meant the world to her, even as a young girl. She wishes she could cry against his chest, because even though he hates to see her cry, he always tells her to just let it out. She wishes he was there to wipe away her tears with his gentle fingers and whisper stupid, irrelevant things in her ear, the kinds of things that always make her feel better. The knowledge that she has to crawl into her cold bed tonight, no Wally to press up against her comfortingly, is crushing.

For the first time since they started this ruse, she can feel herself unraveling and struggles to pull it together. This isn't just some game they're playing here; this is life and death and if she makes one mistake, slips up just one time, it could be the end for both her and Kaldur. She needs to get her head in the game _now_. If she allows Sportsmaster to just come in here and break her confidence, she might as well just admit defeat.

And Artemis _never_ admits defeat.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep, calming breath. When she opens them, she carefully wipes away all of her tears. Methodically, she straps her mask back on and stands, crossbow in hand.

She is Artemis inside the room, but as soon as she steps out she is Tigress once more.

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